The Difference Between Us
by Lady Kick Your Butt
Summary: Tadashi's alive, and rather paranoid about Hiro saving the world. Gogo thinks he should relax. A collection of Tomadashi one-shots. AU Tadashi survived the fire.
1. Chapter 1

Gogo Tomago tossed one of her wheels up and down, absent-mindedly, sending it into an arcing rotation at its highest peak. She looked casually disinterested, blowing a big pink bubble now and then, just sitting on the edge of a table. She was by far the most quiet of the group. This wasn't bizarrely out of the ordinary, Gogo was more inclined to silence than chatter, but her indifference seemed a little strange, since it was her friends arguing.

It had been two months since they had discovered the newly-awakened Tadashi in a hospital. Apparently Professor Callaghan hadn't been absolutely evil. He had saved the unconscious Tadashi, but then left him in a small town just fifty miles outside of San Fransokyo, when he couldn't revive him.

Fortunately, a Good Samaritan had discovered the badly burned comatose boy, and rushed him to a hospital.

With no form of identification, Tadashi's name, family, everything, wasn't discovered until he had woken up.

There had been a lot of tears, hugs, and exultation when they had all heard the news.

But once all the partying was over and Tadashi was allowed to go home, then there was the small matter of telling him everything that had happened. This they did...to an extent. They waited until he was fully recuperated to tell him about their crime-fighting ways.

Finding out that your adolescent little brother is regularly going out into dangerous situations, doing dangerous things, and fighting dangerous people, is quite the shock. According to Tadashi, it was also unacceptable and would no longer be allowed. The heated words were between just him and Hiro at first, but when Fred,Wasabi, and Honey Lemon had stepped in to defend Hiro, it escalated to Tadashi getting furious with his friends too, and feeling betrayed by them. That was where the arguing climaxed.

"...And you all agreed to this!" Tadashi yelled, his arm waving in his outrage and disbelief, "You? My best friends! Why would you give in to his..his schemes!? You're adults! You're supposed to know better!"

"If we hadn't, he would have gone by him-" Wasabi tried

"No!" Tadashi refused furiously, "No! That is not an excuse! You could have found a way to stop him! I-I can't believe you guys!"

And with that parting sentiment, Tadashi ran out of the room, as if no longer able to control himself. Everyone was left frozen, and undecided. Never before had they seen a furious Tadashi. It was a terrifying, cringing experience.

Gogo, the only one not at a loss, slipped out of the nerd lab quietly. She knew where Tadashi would be.

* * *

Tadashi sank his head onto his hand, and stared morosely down into the koi pond. He had retreated to the pond, just on the outskirts of campus, without thinking. He had often gone there to think before...the fire. Now he was indignant, angry, and glaring down into the pond, kicking his feet, as they dangled over the side. Not too many people knew there was ledge under the bridge. As a matter of fact, only one other person knew about it, and she had been the one to show it to him in the first place.

Makes sense that she knew where he'd go.

Tadashi didn't move or speak, as he heard Gogo quietly slip onto the ledge next to him. He was probably the most upset with her, but she was also the only one who hadn't sided with anybody during the argument. Maybe she knew he was right.

"You know I'm right. Right?" Tadashi finally turned to the small half-Korean next to him, after ten minutes.

Gogo shrugged.

"Out of all my friends." Tadashi's expression was painful, "I would have counted on you the most to stop him. I'd trust you to have that sense, to keep him out of trouble."

"I was one of the first ones to back him up actually." Gogo told him calmly.

"What?!" Tadashi exploded.

Gogo cringed, and Tadashi felt bad for a moment, because he knew Gogo didn't like angry shouting. But he collected himself and was about to berate her, when Gogo clamped a hand over his mouth.

"Alright, Hamada." Gogo said warningly, "Number one: I told you loud speech wasn't allowed down here when I first showed you it.

"Number two: You're going to let me talk and explain things to you. Got it?"

Tadashi gave a glare that could have given one of Gogo's a run for its money, but eventually he gave in and nodded. Gogo slowly removed her hand.

"When you died," Gogo paused for a minute as if collecting herself, but recovered and started again, "When you died, we were all shaken and distressed. You were like the center cog in our group, and we didn't really know what to do without you. But it was even worse for Hiro, because you were his support. That little nerd was lost without you. He spent months holed up in your room, and no matter how hard we tried to get to him, nothing worked."

Tadashi's face began to soften, and Gogo took that a good sign.

"Hunting down, Callaghan, creating suits for us, working with Baymax, that was the first time I saw him show any sign of healing. He was so eager with his designs; so, I didn't try to stop him. I admit that was partly because I wanted to see the guy who killed you pay for it, just as much as Hiro did. Honestly, I didn't realize how moved by revenge he was, and after he left us on the island, I was going to insist he stop, but when we got to your garage, he had changed. He never really said exactly what happened, but Baymax was able to get to him, and he knew you would have hated what he had tried to do. He grew then, he almost reminded me of you, and when we went up against Callaghan, beat him, and saved Abigal to boot, he matured so much."

Tadashi listened, absorbed.

"Remember the little kid you used to rant about to me under here?" Gogo asked, "Remember how you groaned that he had so much potential and should be doing more with his life? Remember?"

Tadashi nodded his head. It was tiny, barely any movement, but Gogo caught it.

"He's using that potential now." Gogo informed him, "He's getting good grades, he rebuilt Baymax, he improved Baymax, and he's using his abilities to help people. That last part kinda reminded me of someone else I know."

Gogo nudged Tadashi's shoulder before continuing.

"When we started out I swore to your memory that I would be there for Hiro and protect him like you did, but Tadashi you and I are extremely different people. I'm rough, I don't have your golden sense of purpose or softness. I did my best, but found I could protect your brother best by trying to be there through whatever decisions he made. I know the others had the same idea. We've done our best, and I like to think Hiro has been the better for it. But, you've seen how he is now, is he honestly that helpless little troublemaker you used to know?"

Tadashi didn't reply, he was pondering her words. At first he didn't want to admit it even to himself, but Gogo's reasoning was too earnest, it almost sounded as if she wanted his approval.

Hiro was more mature, he had noticed it. He did chores around the cafe without complaining and sometimes even without having been asked. His grades were the highest they could be, and he even skipped a few courses. He was still kind of snarky, but that was just his nature.

"You guys are really watching out for him when he goes out...you know.." Tadashi asked hesitantly.

"Like a hawk." Gogo assured him, "But he doesn't really need it. He's careful. He's even saved my skin once or twice."

"I-I guess I won't interfere." Tadashi decided reluctantly, "But one bad incident, if something goes wrong just once, he stops. Got it?"

Gogo had a bemused expression.

"Got it." She confirmed.

Tadashi studied her face carefully for a moment, as if wanting to be sure she got how serious he was. Gogo studied the tall Asian back. But there was no pity in her face. That was something Tadashi appreciated about Gogo, and why he felt more relaxed in her company, she didn't seem to care that his left eye was so scarred from burns that he could barely see out it, or that his left arm was gone from the elbow down. He was regular old Tadashi. This was a big factor in Tadashi knowing he could trust her.

Tadashi leaned forward and hugged the small girl. Frozen from surprise at first, Gogo soon recovered and hugged back. She would have denied that her face was flushed, even though it was unmistakably red.

"Thanks, Gogo." Tadashi said gratefully, "Thanks for everything. Thanks for helping Hiro."

Gogo pulled away, and just shrugged nonchalantly.

"Yeah, sure, whatever." She mumbled a bit embarrassed.

"I suppose I should apologize." Tadashi sighed, standing up, "And tell Hiro he can keep suiting up."

Gogo followed his lead, and trailed behind Tadashi as he clambered back onto the bridge, and began to walk back to the lab.

Gogo soon began to walk in step with him, inspite of his longer strides. In fact, Tadashi's long legs were probably the only reason he was able to keep up with her.

"Hey, just out of curiosity..." Tadashi spoke up after a moment's silence. Gogo looked up at him and raised an eyebrow questioningly.

"How long did you plan that speech?" Tadashi asked, "You knew I'd lose it, didn't you?"

Gogo shrugged, and Tadashi narrowed his eyes.

"Since I heard you were alive." She admitted reluctantly. Tadashi stopped in his tracks.

"Seriously?"

"Yeah, well, I knew how big an idiot you are." Gogo grumbled and crossed her arms.

"Unbelievable." Tadashi shook his head, but he was starting to grin.

"Shut up." Gogo shoved him.


	2. Horrible puns and Oblivious Friends

Tadashi refused to let anybody else build his robotic arm, even though all of his friends and his little brother were more than up to the task. Accept for Fred, and Tadashi didn't really want to know why the comic book geek volunteered or how he had planned to make one.

Tadashi even took to building it in the Hamada garage, instead of the lab. He wanted it to be a surprise. He swore nobody would see it, until it was finished.

Strangely, Tadashi ended up showing it to Gogo, and she even influenced the design. Tadashi didn't realize this until it had happened. He was rather suspicious that Gogo had schemed her way into it, but she was so apathetic, he couldn't be sure.

Starting off, Gogo, had volunteered, like all the others, to build Tadashi's arm - you would have thought it was project of the year. Tadashi had promptly turned her offer down. Unlike all the others who had pleaded at length with him, Gogo yawned and said it was fine by her, thought she'd just offer.

Tadashi was a bit offended; so, he told her that his arm was top secret, and he was going to surprise everyone with the finished product.

Gogo told him that that was nice, and returned back to her bike, which she had been fine-tuning.

Everyone bugged Tadashi about his arm, and when he would finally finish it. Well everyone but Gogo. Tadashi tried hard to pique her interest.

"Hey, Gogo." He'd say, "I just had this unbelievably cool idea for my arm. Can't wait till you see it."

Gogo would nod distractedly.

"See you later, Gogo. I'm just leaving to go work on my cool robotic arm."

"Later, Hamada." She'd salute without looking.

Eventually, Tadashi caved in and told her he'd give her a peek at one of designs.

To be honest, he went up to her lab partition, and had to beg her to leave her bike and tell him what she thought about it.

Gogo only glanced at it, and informed him the battery he had chosen was too large and bulky, especially for his scrawny muscles. Only, she said it more bluntly than that.

So, Tadashi showed her all of his ideas, just to make sure he wasn't doing anything wrong of course. Gogo pointed out a couple things, scribbled down an equation or two, and erased a couple of his more outrageous ideas.

"Why you even thought a toothbrush extension was a 'fantastic' idea, is beyond me." Gogo shook her head in disbelief.

"It's useful!" Tadashi protested

""Hamada, you have no trouble brushing your teeth with one hand, and the only time you need to brush your teeth is when you're in the bathroom where you store the toothbrush."

"But what if there was an emergency? What if I ate garlic bread, and then was told the President wanted to see me?" Tadashi demanded with faux indignation.

"So, you're planning on adding a toothpaste feature on there?" Gogo raised an eyebrow, "Sounds like you would get in a whole lot of 'sticky' situations that way."

Tadashi let her erase it.

After that, though, Tadashi told her about every single set back and every inch of progress. Gogo listened and offered suggestions, a lot of them super practical.

Then one day, Tadashi was trying to explain what was wrong, but the problem was so complicated he couldn't describe it thoroughly. The problem was he couldn't see what was wrong. So, he broke his rule, and dragged Gogo to the garage so she could take a look at it. Gogo looked it over, and told him he had mixed two wires. Since, Gogo was already there, she might as well, put some parts on that Tadashi couldn't do very well with one arm.

And it went on from there; so, that it was as much Gogo's project as it was Tadashi's, and scheme or no scheme, Tadashi was glad he had let her join in. Production time tripled in speed, (A guarantee when you work with someone who has no use for wasted time), Gogo had come up with some brilliantly inspired designs herself, and Tadashi didn't make the mistake of adding a toothbrush.

* * *

Then one frosty early morning in Februrary, they had finished it. Everything. The arm's interior wiring, it's supportive exoskeleton, and the protective metal armor it was encased in. They had decided on red for the color, it had taken Gogo a lot of persuading before Tadashi had dropped the idea of making it a glitter green. He had wanted it to look non-threatening.

Now all that was left was for them to do, was to screw in a last panel, and then they could test it. Tadashi was relishing the moment, taking in every detail. There was the sound of the portable heater running and Gogo yawning. It was barely morning outside. The sky was grey, and what little light there was, reflected off the icy snow. Gogo was sitting on her chair backwards at the desk, bobbing her leg up and down, impatiently, waiting for him to finish. Her head lying on her crossed arms on the back of her chair.

"You do it." Tadashi pushed the screwdriver towards her.

"Your arm." She pointed out with a smack of her bubblegum.

"You did as much work as me." Tadashi insisted.

Gogo was shaking her head; so, Tadashi grabbed her hand, and holding it with the screwdriver firmly in her grasp, he guided it to the screw, and they turned it in together.

Tadashi marveled at how tiny, yet, calloused and strong her hand was.

Gogo was trying desperately not to blush, and think about how Tadashi's large hand enveloped her's completely, or how close they were next to each other as they leaned over the arm. She wondered at how someone with such a massive hand could be so gentle.

Then the screw was in, and Gogo took her hand out of Tadashi's hastily. He didn't notice, too busy looking the arm over.

"It's finally finished." He beamed down on it proudly.

"How bout you test it first." Gogo said drily, tying to regain her composure, "Make sure it's not going to slap your face."

"Haha." Tadashi grimaced at her, they both remembered that test on Baymax very well. It was the first time Tadashi had seen Gogo laugh.

Fumbling, Tadashi tried to strap it on to what was left of his left arm. It was hard with one hand, and eventually Gogo helped him; though, she sternly avoided eye contact. Tadashi didn't stop to wonder why. When she finished they both just stared at the arm, then licking his lips nervously, Tadashi thought about wiggling his fingers. The fingers responded automatically. Tadashi laughed in surprised delight, and using his arm picked up the screwdriver and tried to twirl it. He fumbled and dropped it, but that was normal.

"It works." Tadashi whooped throwing up both arms, "We did it!"

Excitedly, he jumped up to his feet and swept Gogo up in an enormous hug. Her feet dangled helplessly as Tadashi spun her around the room triumphantly.

"Hamada, put me down." Gogo demanded, her arms helplessly pinioned. She was smiling, despite her best efforts to be annoyed.

Tadashi apologetically set her down carefully.

Gogo rearranged her purple streaked hair with a very unforceful glare at her best friend.

"Sorry." Tadashi couldn't help his large grin. He pulled off his baseball cap with his robotic hand, and then put it back on. "It's just...it works!"

"Really? I didn't realize it." Gogo said sarcastically.

"Oh, c'mon." Tadashi said, "I know you're just as excited as me."

Gogo didn't budge a muscle.

"Fist bump?" Tadashi held out his new hand pleadingly.

Gogo didn't move.

"Please." He pouted.

Gogo rolled her eyes and bumped his fist with her own.

"Ba la la la la." Tadashi crowed.

"Ba. La. La. La." Gogo said in her dead tone, "Now can we test all the features we programmed?"

* * *

It was Tadashi's idea, to play the joke on the rest of the group, he wanted to see how long it would take for them to realize the brand new addition. Gogo, wasn't a poor sport, she agreed to keep her mouth sealed. So, Tadashi called everyone and suggested a walk in the snow. This wasn't new, as Tadashi insisted on good recreational activities to keep the group in good health; so, nobody questioned it. Though, Wasabi and Hiro grumbled about the early hour, and that it would be freezing. It also took awhile to get Fred to give up the abominable snowman suit. Honey Lemon was, of course, enthusiastic and supportive.

Tadashi wore his large jacket, and gloves; so, nobody could see the robotic arm, but you could easily see that where there was no hand and wrist before, was a new appendage. Tadashi wanted to know if they'd notice he had a left hand again.

They all met in front of the cafe, and began to tramp through the cold snow to the park. Nobody said anything about Tadashi's brand new addition. There was talk about the team's last venture, stopping some bank robbers. Hiro was gushing about a new design for Baymax. The big robot hadn't tagged along, since he tended to slip on the snow; otherwise he probably would have pointed out Tadashi's arm. Gogo said nothing, though, at one point, she shoved Fred's head into the snow, because he had jokingly pulled her hat down over her eyes. Wasabi freaked out every time he saw yellow snow, and Honey Lemon was alternating between taking pictures and brushing off the snow-covered Fred.

Tadashi did things, like straighten his hat, pounded his gloved hands together, and straightened his scarf. Nobody, gave it a second thought; though, Gogo was amused at Tadashi's obviousness.

When they reached the park, Tadashi grew less subtle about it.

"Gogo." He said, "Do you want to give me a 'HAND' in making these snowballs?"

"I'm already making some." Gogo said, not playing along, "I've made twice as much as you."

Tadashi made a face at her.

They had split up into two different teams: Gogo and Tadashi vs. Honey Lemon, Fred, and Hiro. Wasabi, as always, refused to play, and it had long ago been decreed, that Gogo could only be teamed up with one other person. They had learned that the hard way.

"Gogo, I have to 'HAND' it to you, your snowballs are perfect spheres."

"No, they're not." Gogo snorted as she looked at the hurriedly mashed snowball in her hand. She went for quantity over quality.

"You're impossible." Tadashi complained in a whisper.

"Thank you."

Tadashi couldn't reply to that, because Fred's team went on the offense, charging towards them, it was a bad idea to let Gogo's team attack you.

Hiro and Fred jumped Tadashi, knowing Gogo would go easiest on the innocent but brave Honey Lemon. Gogo literally just stood there, and watched as Honey Lemon fired blindly at her, from twenty feet away. None of the snowballs came even close.

"Gogo, help!" Tadashi cried from where Hiro and Fred had pinned him down, "They've dis'ARM'ed me!"

Gogo sighed and face palmed, but trudged past Honey Lemon, who hit her once with a snowball and began to apologize repeatedly.

"Hey, Guys." Tadashi grinned wildly at his two captors, "Gogo's coming and she's 'ARM'ed and dangerous."

Hiro looked behind him, yelped, and ran off, leaving Fred to fend for himself. Tadashi's puns went right over their heads.

"Honey Lemon!" Fred squealed as he ran in circles, "You were supposed to hold her off!"

Many horrible puns, several protestations from Wasabi that Gogo wasn't following the rules, and Fred ending up face down in the snow's later, they were trooping back to the cafe, eager for hot chocolate. Tadashi was a bit miffed. Gogo thought it was hilarious.

Fred and Hiro were insisting that if Tadashi hadn't had Gogo on his team, he would have been a dead man.

"What would I be without my right 'HAND' girl." Tadashi agreed slinging his fake arm around Gogo's shoulders.

"Off."

Tadashi quickly removed his arm.

* * *

In the end, it was Aunt Cass, who noticed his arm. When they had all stomped into the cafe, and Tadashi had given her a traditional hug, she gasped and started hugging him excitedly, and even cried a little.

"Your arm! Your arm!" Was all the short brunette could really say in her joy.

Everyone else looked foolish, when they realized what she meant.

"So that's what all the loud arm and hand comments were about!" Wasabi said, looking back.

* * *

a/n: This chapter is dedicated to the amazing, Sup'Nut. Thanks for that radtastic review, it's the only reason I decided to continue writing these one shots, and I hope they meet up to your praise.


End file.
